Luca stepped onto the platform, his eyes ignoring the gazes of others as he made his way towards the royal palace.
At the sight of him, everyone instinctively parted to make way.
“Invitation.” Luca stopped just outside the hall, pulling out the invitation and handing it to the gatekeeper.
“Y-yes…” The gatekeeper swallowed nervously, trembling as he took the invitation. After a quick glance, he immediately returned it with a respectful expression, his voice full of awe. “The invitation is valid. Count Luca, please enter.”
Luca nodded and walked into the hall. The sound of soft music filled the air, and the grand hall before him was a beacon of luxury. A red carpet stretched across the center, flanked by rows of white tables, laden with expensive foods and red wine.
Well-dressed servants moved among the nobles and ladies, offering the finest service.
As soon as Luca entered the banquet hall, all eyes turned toward him.
The previously lively atmosphere gradually quieted, until the silence was palpable—so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the young man who walked in with calm confidence, their expressions a mix of emotions.
Resentment, jealousy, fear, indifference—but none bore the gratitude that the common folk might have shown.
Luca was the kind of person who could blatantly defy the rules, and such people were not liked by the elite.
Of course, where there were those who disliked him, there were also those who were more inclined to appreciate him.
Just as the crowd fell silent, preparing to watch Luca navigate this awkward situation.
A carefree voice suddenly rang out.”I went looking for you earlier, and here you are, showing up at this banquet.”
Turning toward the voice, Luca saw Marcel, wearing a colorful outfit, casually walking up with his hands in his pockets.
Behind him followed a group of noblemen from the All-Beings Empire, also dressed in similarly garish colors. These were the noble robes of the All-Beings Empire, and the very fact that they wore them so infrequently was a clear indication of how unattractive these clothes were.
“Got a minute to sit down?” Marcel gestured as he approached.
The large man Krik immediately pulled out two bottles of strong liquor from his storage ring and handed them to a servant.
Luca didn’t say much, merely nodding slightly before choosing a random seat. Compared to the refined elegance pursued by the Clinton Empire, the All-Beings Empire of the north had a more rugged and bold culture. The harsh environment there had led them to believe that strength was the ultimate truth.
For those who held great power, even the worst of villains could earn their respect.
However, these people didn’t have the best reputation on the Eternal Continent, often being derisively called “barbarians who eat raw flesh and drink blood.” This was evident from the occasional sneers the other nobles directed at them.
But Luca held no particular bias against them, nor did he have the time to care about such things.
Marcel, upon hearing Luca’s brief response, immediately broke into a smile.
He nudged one of the men beside him with his elbow and raised an eyebrow. “See? I told you this kid would be to my liking.”
Krik gave Luca a disgusted look and said, “Stay away from me from now on.”
The group sat down. Servants poured the fine wine brought from the All-Beings Empire for them.
Luca raised his glass and took a sip.
The taste was sharp, the sensation so pungent it felt like swallowing a flame.
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He took another sip, his brows furrowing slightly.
Something about this taste felt off…
After a moment of contemplation, Luca placed the glass down and snapped his fingers.
A spark flashed through the air.
Whoosh!
Immediately, a bluish flame ignited on the wine glass.
Luca couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
This wasn’t wine! This was pure alcohol!
Marcel, looking proud of himself, grinned. “How is it? This is the best liquor from our Empire. Even people with money from our Empire can’t easily get their hands on it!”
Luca felt a sense of helplessness and could only nod in acknowledgment. “It’s… fine.”
The banquet hadn’t started yet, and the others in the palace continued their conversations and laughter.
Every so often, their gazes would shift to the table where Luca and Marcel were drinking.
As the drinks flowed, Luca felt nothing, but Marcel’s face was turning red, resembling the color of a monkey’s bottom.
He burped loudly, slinging his arm around Luca’s shoulders and nodding toward a nearby table full of nobles. With a mischievous grin, he said, “Who do you think might win over the Fifth Prince?”
Luca followed Marcel’s gaze. The group was led by Duke Mond Stein, who was sitting with nobles loyal to the Second Prince.
They sat together, some with their eyes closed, some nibbling on food, but none were speaking. They seemed to be waiting for something.
“Doesn’t matter,” Luca said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Even if the Fifth Prince didn’t plan to support Fratis, it wouldn’t have much of an impact.
With Fratis’s strength and potential, dealing with them was just a matter of time.
Marcel couldn’t help but give him a thumbs up. “I admire people like you—capable and confident. Ever thought about coming to our All-Beings Empire? Once the Fourth King dies, I can guarantee you a position there.”
“Pfft!” As soon as Marcel said that, a series of sprays of wine and apologetic murmurs erupted from the crowd.
Everyone stared at Marcel like he was a madman.
Did he even know what he was saying?
Those were the four strongest kings of the All-Beings Empire! It wasn’t something he could just decide with a few words.
After all, his father was only one of them.
The All-Beings Empire nobles turned dark red with embarrassment.
Holy crap, this guy was reckless!
He was openly trying to steal from their own family, almost as if he wanted them dead faster!
Luca, too, was a little surprised. He didn’t expect this guy to say anything and everything without a care.
But he could tell—while Marcel was definitely drunk, his attempt to win him over was sincere.
Though the way he went about it…
Luca glanced over at the nobles, who were all stunned and wide-eyed. He couldn’t help but shake his head, wondering how Marcel even came up with this.
“Cough, cough! He’s drunk. Please don’t take it personally,” one of the All-Beings Empire people quickly stepped in, awkwardly trying to smooth things over.
At the same time, Krik nudged Marcel and whispered urgently, “Your Highness, please stop talking like that! I don’t want to die yet!”
However, Marcel seemed genuinely drunk. With bleary eyes, he looked at Luca, thumping his chest and shouting, “What nonsense! Who am I, Marcel? The Four Kings of our Empire all know my name! How could I possibly be talking nonsense?!”
“I swear on the name of the Dragon Race… as long as you’re willing to come with me, I swear… I’ll even offer you my sister’s hand in marriage! With your talent and strength, and our Dragon Race bloodline, if you just have a bunch of dragon offspring with her, we’ll take over the entire All-Beings Empire… Hahaha… oh, wait! What am I saying…!”
As Marcel rambled on, Krik couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly covered Marcel’s mouth with his hand and awkwardly smiled at the others, saying, “Everyone, our prince has had a bit too much to drink. I apologize for the inconvenience, I’ll take him back to sober up.”
Without waiting for Marcel to struggle further, Krik hoisted him onto his shoulder and began striding toward the exit.
The All-Beings Empire nobles looked deeply embarrassed, heads down as they quickly followed suit. Having such a master was a real test of their patience.
As they left, the other nobles stared at the retreating group with strange expressions.
No one had expected that, before the banquet had even officially begun, Marcel would already cause such a scene.
In a corner of the room, a young man from Via Empire, sporting a buzz cut, frowned in confusion and muttered, “What is Marcel trying to do?”
The chubby Milo, holding a chicken leg in one hand and picking his teeth with the other, squinted and grinned, “It’s nothing special. He’s just eyeing the potential and connections of that young man. He doesn’t want to get involved in Clinton Empire’s business, probably afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. But now, with Dawn City, it’s not up to him whether he gets involved or not. And he’s got a grudge against Ziegfried, so he probably wants to find a way to bow out early.”
The buzz-cut young man, Ike, gave a wry smile and said, “That guy really is as shameless as the rumors say. Probably only someone like Marcel would think of pulling a stunt like this.”
Milo shook his head, laughing. “Well, he doesn’t care about his reputation anyway. He might as well go all out. After all, if he’s already letting loose like a black dragon, no one else can afford to drag All-Beings Empire down with them.”
Just then, loud applause suddenly rang out in the hall.
Everyone looked up and saw a young man in armor walking into the banquet hall.
Almost instantly, a thick, heavy scent of blood filled the entire room.
Luca squinted slightly and looked the newcomer over. He was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, handsome in a way that reminded Luca of Alfred. His face was cold, and there were three deep scars running from his forehead down to between his brows.
Even though the wounds had long since healed, it was easy to tell how dangerous they had been, and the marks only added to his fierce and formidable aura.
It was none other than the Fifth Prince of Clinton Empire, Ziegfried!
Beside him were Princess Fratis, the Sixth Princess; Prince Leonie, the First Prince; Prince Runne, the Second Prince; Princess Raphael, the Third Princess; and further back, Duke Evelyn and Chairman Augustine. Almost all the high-ranking figures from both the nobility and the royal family had arrived.
Luca was not surprised by this. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, most national matters were decided in advance.
If they were to wait until Fratis’s coronation day, it would mean everything had already been settled.
After all, the coronation ceremony was just a formality; the real decisions about the throne and the future of the kingdom were being made today, at this banquet held in honor of the Fifth Prince.
As soon as the group entered the hall, the nobles at the banquet immediately became overwhelmingly enthusiastic, flocking toward them.
They all knew very well that these people were the true protagonists of today’s event.
Luca’s gaze swept over the crowd, and finally landed on Fratis’s face, which appeared somewhat flustered.
Compared to before, her expression was noticeably more worn-out.
Though he knew that this wasn’t the same Fratis as the one he had once known, Luca still felt a pang of sympathy for her. After all, it was all that old man Alfred’s fault.
But unfortunately, he was already dead. Could Luca go dig up his corpse? What would be the point of that? Luca drained the glass of strong liquor in his hand, feeling a surge of heat rise from his stomach to his chest.
Slowly, he raised his gaze towards the First Prince and his group, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
No matter what happened today, he would make sure to clean up all loose ends!